Cordillera's First Solar Power Plant to rise in Kalinga province

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Cordillera - A solar power plant that could be able to generate 5 megawatts is soon to rise in the province of Kalinga. 

A leading global solar power company, Sunpower Renewable Energy Corporation (SREC) has been eyeing the province of Kalinga to put up a solar power plant, according to Tabuk city Mayor Darwin Estrañero during an executive meeting last Month.

"The people of Tabuk City are expecting Sunpower Renewable Energy Corp. to put up a solar power plant in the city the soonest possible time to unburden us of paying high electricity rate," Estrañero said. 

READ ALSO: Kalinga rice farmer earns P1 Million from his farm; wins Outstanding Rice Farmer award 2019

Report said that Kalinga is one of the provinces with the highest cost of electricity and putting up a solar power plant will not only augment the power supply but will lower the cost of electricity by P2 per kilowatt hour.

"Through solar energy, not only will electricity prices get cheaper, it does not produce any greenhouse gases making it pollution free," Estrañero added.

He said that the Tabuk city government is ready to issue SREC business and building permits after being endorse by the Province Board of Kalinga and submit the construction plan to the Department of Energy for approval.

READ ALSO: Kalinga high school students awarded for solar-powered rice insect trapper invention

Estrañero highlighted some of the advantages of turning into renewable energy such as solar power plant. Using solar energy reduces reliance on oil and coal that are mainly exported from other countries. 

source || Manila Times

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FREE Wedding in Baguio City on February 14, 2020 at the Rose Garden, Burnham Park

Photo Courtesy || Pag Ibig Fund

Cordillera - Are you planning for a wedding day without the hefty price tag? How about a wedding for FREE? 

Here is your chance as a free mass wedding dubbed "I DO, I DO Araw ng Pag-ibig" will be conducted by Pag-IBIG Fund Baguio Branch in partnership with the city government of Baguio on February 14, 2020 at 3 p.m. at the Rose Garden, Burnham Park. 

Pag-IBIG Fund Baguio Branch said it will sponsor everything the couples need for the wedding, such as food and catering, bridal car, symbolic cake, ring and, among others. 

Mayor Benjamin Magalong is expected to be the one who will officiate the civil rites of 50 couples who are going to tie the knot which will be done simultaneously with other couples in major cities in the country.

The Baguio Public Information office said in a post they are calling interested couples to join the mass wedding by submitting their papers at the City Mayor's Office. 

Couple who are interested to participate should have applied for their license not later than January 27 and must have the following requirements:

• Proof of age either the birth certificate or baptismal certificate (one must be a resident of the city)
• Parental consent for applicants aged 18 to 20 to be given preferably by the father (personal appearance with valid ID)
• Parental Advice for applicants aged 21 to 24 to be given preferably by the father
• Certificate of No Marriage for both parties from the Philippine Statistics Authority
• Certificate of Seminar of Family Planning and Responsible Parenthood at the Baguio Health Service Office
• Tree Planting Certificate issued by the City Environment and Parks Management Office
• Legal Capacity for foreigner applicants issued by their Consular Offices
• Widow or Widower death certificate of deceased spouse
• Cedula or passport of both applicants
• Valid ID of both applicants;
• Ten Days posting
• Processing Fee of P142
• Solemnization Fee of P500

The annual Pag-IBIG Fund Mass Wedding in partnership with city government of Baguio aims to help couples who lack financial capacity to fund for their wedding but wanted to formalize their union. 

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Bayanihan Spirit alive in Buguias, Benguet as volunteers rebuild family's house destroyed in fire

Photo Courtesy || Novelyn Amlos Balangui, Angle Suaya Sandra, Alex Simeon

Cordillera - The true spirit of Bayanihan was exemplified when a crowd of local volunteers responded to a call to rebuild houses that were ravaged by the fire in sitio Kimpit, Amlimay, Buguias, Benguet.

But just before that, On January 9, 2019, at 2 p.m., three families were left homeless after their homes caught fire. Flames destroyed their entire houses and left them with nothing but little clothes and some household items they had managed to save.

The Bayanihan spirit of the community began immediately after the fire broke out.

Novelyn Amlos Balangui, a netizen who witnessed the tragedy, said that nearly two hundred individuals in the community came rushing to help in putting down the fire and brought everyone to a safe place. She said that no one was hurt in the fire accident.

"Out of four individuals who first witness the house being burned, almost two hundred individuals in the community came to help and within two hours the fire ceased. Everything vanished but everyone is safe. Truly God is good," Balangui said.

In an unfortunate event, three houses of family Bugtong, Babad and Aquila were burned to ashes, according to the report.

Officials from the government, police and fire officers were also part of the quick response to aid the family. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed food packs hygiene kits and temporary shelters. 

A donation campaign was launched by the family and community members to get aid from those who would gladly help and share their blessings in this time of need.

Once again, the Bayanihan spirit was shown as the public responded to the call and many had donated in cash and in kind to the affected families.

The help didn't stop there, as a group of volunteers composed of those who have knowledge in house building gathered together and started the rebuilding process. 

A Facebook user, Alex Simeon, shared on social media photos of volunteers working with the construction of a house skeletal structure. 

Indeed, it was a manifestation of the true spirit of Bayanihan in a community not to mention the spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie.

Members of the families wanted to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all those who extended their help in any way they can.  

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Three Best Criminology schools in the Philippines to study Criminology.

Photo and Logo Courtesy || Google

Cordillera - University of the Cordilleras (UC) ranked 1st in the list of 70 Top Criminology Schools in the Philippines for the year 2019. 

Based on the results of the two criminologist licensure examinations in June and November 2019 including program accreditation status and faculty-student ratio, UC emerged on top of the list with an overall score of 87.02 percent besting other colleges and universities in the country. 

University of the Cordilleras is among the 7 colleges and universities accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Centers of Excellence (COE) in criminal justice education including the discipline of criminology. 

Also in the list is the University of Baguio (UB) which made it to the 2nd spot with an overall score of 83.01%. 

Another Cordillera-based university that made it to the top list is Ifugao State University in Lamut, Ifugao. It was ranked in the 4th spot with 74.71% overall score. 

Photo Courtesy || localpulse.net

The ranking which was conducted by Local Pulse School Ranking used 5 performance indicators including Weighted Overall School Board Performance in a Year (40%); Number of Total Examinees (20%); Top Performing Examinees (10%); Level of Accreditation (20%); and Faculty-Student Ratio (20%).

Local Pulse School Rankings is created to guide students who are planning to take any degree program in one of the colleges and universities in the country.

The University of the Cordilleras formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF) is a private university located in Baguio City.

source || localpulse.net

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Igorota recognized as Most Influential Filipina woman in the World

Cordillera - Partnership coordinator of Plan International Switzerland Lorena Domanog-Clerc was honored with the prestigious Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World by the San Francisco-based organization Filipina Women's Network (FWN).

The Filipina Women's Network recognizes women from the Philippines who are changing the face of leadership in the global workplace, having reached the status for outstanding work in their respective fields and are recognized for their contributions to society, "femtorship" (female mentorship) and legacy. 

Photo Courtesy || Lorena Domanog-Clerc

Domanog-Clerc was recognized by the organization as a "Behind the Scenes Leader" during the 16th Filipina Leadership Summit held last year. 

The Sagada, Mountain Province native was honored for her "contributions towards women empowerment and the promotion and appreciation of indigenous cultures."

"The Global FWN100 awardees are innovators and thought leaders, dynamic entrepreneurs, rising stars under age 35, practitioners, behind-the-scenes leaders and public service advocates, who have move through the ranks in the public and private sectors. They are magnificent women doing extraordinary work motivating next generation leaders," said Marily Mondejar, CEO of the FWN. 

"Lorena Domanog-Clerc is now a valued partner in helping FWN develop the Filipina community's pipeline of qualified leaders to increase the odds that some will rise to the "president" position in all sectors of the global economy," said Dr. Carol Enriquez, FWN board member and president and CEO of Our Lady of Fatima University.

source || https://www.ffwn.org/

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Criminology grad from Ifugao ranks 7th in Criminology Licensure Exam

Cordillera - A graduate from the Ifugao State University (IFSU) was among the topnochers in the November 2019 Criminology Examinations, according to the results published by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on January 8, 2019. 

Franie Buyayo Bumilao from Kiangan, Ifugao ranked 7th with a score of 90.10 percent. 

Meanwhile, four universities and colleges in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were among  the top performing schools. 

These are Kings College of the Philippine - Top 3; University of the Cordilleras - Top 4; University of Baguio - Top 7; Ifugao State University - Top 8.

Fahadale Saripada Abbas, a graduate of John Paul II College in Davao City ranked top 1 in the list with a score of 91.20 percent. 

He was followed by John Patrick Aguado Privado, a graduate of Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (Manila) in the 2nd spot with a score of 90.75 percent and Aldrin Abata Aquino of the University of Cagayan Valley in the 3rd spot with 90.5 percent score.

According to PRC which administered the exam, there were 19,191 out of 43,512 who passed the examinations that took place last November 2019. 

The exam was conducted in different testing centers in the country including Manila, Baguio City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Tacloban and Tuguegarao.

Send your congratulations to Ms. Franie Buyayo Bumilao in the comment box below and don't forget to share this post in Facebook. 

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Igorot lawyer is the new Director of the NCIP Legal Affairs Office

Photo Courtesy || Atty. Marlon Bosantog

Cordillera - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has appointed a Cordilleran lawyer to head the Legal Affairs Office of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).

Attorney Marlon P. Bosantog, formally assumed the post as the new Director of The NCIP after a taking his oath on December 26, 2019, according a report from PTV Cordillera. 

A graduate of Saint Louis University College of Law, Atty. Bosantog started his career as an Associate Solicitor-General III under the Officer of the Solicitor-General since 2011. 

He also became a member of the Anti-Money Laundering Council Task Force and became a member of the NCIP Task Force that primarily solve cases involving indigenous people.

Atty. Bosantog became an instructor at the Data Center of the Philippines and later served as a legal assistant of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-CAR).

He also served as a member of the Task Force KALASAG of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the fight against insurgencies in Metro Manila, PTV - Cordillera reports. 

In 2019, Atty. Bosantog represented President Rodrigo R. Duterte and seven other respondents in a petition for writs of Amparo and heabeas data filed by National Union of People's Lawyer (NUPL) in April.

Atty. Bosantog is a proud Igorot, who traces his roots from Bagnen, Bauko, Mountain Province and Sinipsip, Buguias, Benguet.

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Young Taekwondo athlete from Abra bags Gold Medal in Singapore

Photo Courtesy || Guessteen Merile A. Aznar

Cordillera - A young taekwondo athlete from Abra bagged Gold Medal at the 7th Daedo Taekwondo Open Championships 2019 which was recently held in Singapore on 7 -8 December last year. 

Guessteen Merile A. Aznar won the gold in the Senior Division-female 67kg, besting other athletes from Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. 

The 7th Daedo Taekwondo Open Championships is sanctioned by the Singapore Taekwondo Federation and  organized by J H Kim Taekwondo Institute (Bukit Timah) and managed by Han Academy Pte. Ltd.

Photo Courtesy || Guessteen Merile A. Aznar

The objective of this year's edition is to promote youth development and to support high performance in Singapore. 

Taekwondo is a martial art that originated from Korea and it is the world's most widely practice martial arts. 

It is an Olympic sport that teaches artistic discipline, self-defense and a way of life. 

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Honest Baguio Cop returns lost bag with cash and credit cards to owner

Photo Courtesy || Wilfredo Gatchalian 

Cordillera. Honesty is doing the right thing although no one else knows or is watching and it is a human core value that needs to be emulated by all. 

Recently, an honest police officer in Baguio City returned a bag containing cash worth Php20,000.00, credit cards, passbook, passport, car spare key and driver's license to the owner. 

The owner of the bag Mr. Wilfredo Gatchalian shared in social media the good deed of Police Officer Buhong who returned his bag after losing it on December last year. 

In his Facebook post, Gatchalian said he was not expecting that his lost bag will be returned to him. However, he was very thankful that a police officer returned his bag.

"Nanlulumo na nga po ako tapos bigla may nagchat sa akin napulot daw bag ko. Hindi ko nga inexpect na mabalik pa eh. Napakabait pulis doon, Strick pero mabait," he said.

He tried to give a reward to P.Lt Buhong as an expression of gratitude for his good deed but the police officer refused to accept it. 

"Sana lahat ng police ganito. Binibigyan ko si sir ng reward pero ayaw pa niya tanggapin. Labis labis ang pasasalamat ko sa iyo at sampu ng mga kasama mo sa station 3 ng Baguio City. Nawa'y marami ka pang matutulongan na nangangailangan," Gatchalian added.

Many netizens who read the post had expressed their admiration to P.Lt Buhong.

"Wow, that's something worth emulating! Congratulations PO Buhong. Another feather on the cap of PNP Cordillerans," one netizen wrote. 

According to a post, P,Lt Buhong is from Bili, Amduntong, Ifugao. 

Stories of honesty such as this is definitely worth emulating. We hope that the good deed of P.Lt Buhong will inspire not only police officers and taxi drivers but all of us. 

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Kalinga entrepreneur wins 2019 Micro-Entrepreneurship Award

Photo Courtesy || Tabuk Life

Cordillera - The Citi Microntrepreneurship Award (CMA) has granted the Special Award for Preservation of Tradition to Caroline Jamias of Tabuk City, Kalinga. 

Jamias, a Kalinga entrepreneur who promotes traditional Kalinga products was recognized as the winner in the 2019 CMA special award for the preservation of tradition. 

Jamias received the award for successfully establishing her own profitable clothing business and later hired locals to trained with her at the Department of Trade and Industry.

With the small capital she borrowed from a lending company Alalay sa Kaunlaran Microfinance Social Development Inc. (ASKI), Jamias was able to grow her business. 

Now, Jamias reported that she is earning around 1.5 million pesos annually or around P125,000 monthly.

This year's winners includes Lea Mancera of Daniel's Handicraft Weaving and Metal Frame, Luzon Regional Awardee; Merly Domingo of Ebina Garment Manufacturing, Visayas Regional Awardee and Lucrecia Nero of Manna's Alternative Herbal Products and AtiManna Organic Hub, Mindanao Regional Awardee.

The Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year Award was granted to Romualdo Blanco, Jr. of Maja's Special.

The special award for agri micro-business was awarded to Rosanna Sinapilo of Coco Deli. 

CMA program is a global financial inclusion initiative that recognizes the contributions of microentrepreneurs to their local economies and highlights the importance of microfinance in supporting the economic development of low-income individuals. - cmagroup.com

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